


Ce qui se passe à Valence...

by CallenAmakuni



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Banter, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - In Hushed Whispers, Romance, Valence - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 12:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23178340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallenAmakuni/pseuds/CallenAmakuni
Summary: After coming back from Valence, Leliana thinks about what made her change during her time in the Inquisition. What made her so soft? So caring? And maybe - just maybe - a little happy? It seems all the answers boiled down to one single person.Oneshot series.
Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Leliana (Dragon Age)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 19





	1. Ce qui se passe à Valence...

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Quick Oneshot that explores the aftermath of Leliana's 'Loyalty Mission' in DAI, which I felt could be pushed a bit further. Leliana is softened, and the Inquisitor is a 30/70 mix of the Paragon and Funny choices (up and middle).
> 
> More detail about this in the ending AN. Enjoy!

Leliana threw a sealed envelope to the floor with a careless flick of her wrist. The letter danced in the air with the gentle breeze that traversed the tower, waving like a pendulum before gently settling atop the now sizable pile of scrapped paper and unsent drafts that were lying on the cold stony ground. Slowly bringing her fingers to rub her eyes, she released a quick breath.

Victoire had shown some utility in providing the Inquisition with the intel about the strikes that were planned against a few other grand clerics by Corypheus' forces; but responding to her vassals' messages was still a task that took entire afternoons' worth of migraines to figure out.

"Better that than having to deal with angry mobs of the delirious faithful," she reasoned aloud.

The air at her feet shimmered, and a spy who hadn't been there a moment ago suddenly was.

"Spymaster," he began, keeping himself low in greeting. "The followers of Grand Cleric Victoire have agreed to give their support to our cause. Dame Montilyet received an official missive stating that every single Chantry north-east of Denerim is rallying under the Inquisition's banner."

Leliana nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Julien. I see that Natalie remembered how to be a bard," she cheerfully said.

"It was stated that her intervention had been, hum, _persuasive_."

"I hope she was," Leliana added with a small smile. "Has he been informed?"

"No, my lady. Madame Ambassador wanted me to tell you first. She said she was pleased with the restraint you showed in Valence."

"I'm sure she is absolutely delighted. ' _Niceness before knives, Leliana. Haven't I always told you?'_ " she said with a small smile and a shake of her head. "On the subject at hand, please do not tell the Inquisitor for now. I wish to handle it myself."

_He'll come to gloat anyway if he ever learns it from someone else…_

"What do you want to tell me?" a deep voice asked from the middle of the staircase.

A man emerged from the depths of the tower, climbing the last stairs with his hands closely tied in his back. Of a sturdy build, one would assume he was a warrior at first glance. Noticing the bladeless sword that dangled on his belt at all times would make them understand he was a peculiar type of mage.

_And of course, he shows up now._

Leliana rolled her eyes, though she beamed a smile at the newcomer's triumphant grin. His outfit was clean of the blood and mud it had amassed after his last escapade through the Hinterlands – a full week, she always wondered how he could do it – and his dark brown beard and hair were now a lot less disheveled.

"Milord Inquisitor Trevelyan. A surprise to see you up here. You are dismissed, Julien."

The spy gave a crisp salute and rapidly bowed to the man that had just entered the cellar. The air vibrated once more, and he disappeared just as swiftly as he had appeared, leaving no indication that he had even stood there – not even the dust under his feet had been disturbed.

Leliana brought her gaze to the Inquisitor. "What can I do for His Lordship by this fresh afternoon?" she asked with her most dignified demeanor.

The man arched an eyebrow but kept his easy smile. "So, that's what you're going for? Orlesian noble? I was going to say it doesn't suit you, but truthfully it suits you so much it's a bit scary."

"Of course, I could not be any less formal when the Inquisitor in person deigns to show himself in my humble quarters."

His shoulders slumped down slightly as he crossed his arms. "Leliana…We talked about the whole Inquisitor thingy…" he said, a playful glint in his almost black irises.

"All right, all right, I was just trying to see if you'd catch the bait."

"Throw Halamshiral Leliana out the window and give me back Normal Leliana, please."

She gave him a sharp bob of the head – more than a nod, but less than a bow. He'd been adamant she dropped the formalities whenever there weren't Inquisition people around, but she still wished to maintain at least a semblance of protocol. She had done that even with Justinia herself – she couldn't bring herself to forgo the few rules she could always respect.

"Of course, Cervas."

Now that Julien wasn't here anymore, she could relax her neck and her shoulders. Her gaze softened just a tiny bit and she joined her fingers.

"Better," Cervas said with a satisfied shrug. "So, now that that's out of the way. What is it you want to talk to me about?"

"Umm."

_Just get this over with._

Releasing a heavy sigh, Leliana resigned herself - there was no escape. She picked a random letter up from the desk and pretended to read what she already knew. "Well, it seems…It was a huge gamble, but it seems that saving Natalie was the correct move. We're gathering support from a few more Chantries."

She quickly glanced up at Cervas. His grin was even larger than she thought it'd be. His white teeth were all exposed, and it honestly made him look a bit silly. She slightly bit her lip to suppress her own beam; his stupid smile was making _her_ smile. And if she smiled, he was going to stupidly grin even longer. And then…

_Oh, Maker. I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?_

"Oh, the joys of social activities!" Cervas said in his usual upbeat tone. "Don't kill someone and they may feel grateful enough to become your friend!"

"As I was saying," Leliana tried to regain some seriousness with a cough. She lightly bobbed her head. "It was a gamble, but it still paid off. I must admit it was a good job. And we have you to than-"

"Don't you finish that sentence," Cervas interrupted. She leveled a curious gaze at him – he was still smiling, but this one was softer, truer. " I know where you're going, and don't you dare. Don't say you had nothing to do with it."

_Oh. Have I become this sloppy?_

Cervas had always been good at reading people, but she'd thought herself immune to his talents – as well as anyone else's.

"Didn't I? This is like what happened with Butler," she explained. "If you hadn't been there, I would have ordered his death…"

"Yet, you didn't."

"Because of you. In Valence, I would have killed Natalie and called it a good thing. I would have told myself something along the lines of ' _Justinia never objected, so this is what you have to do_ '. Correction: I did tell myself exactly that and didn't act on it because you didn't let me. How is that not you?"

Cervas took a single step forward, his eyes caring but hardened. "Did you have to listen to me?"

"What? What does that mean?"

"Did. You. _Absolutely have_. To listen. To me?"

_What kind of question is that?_

"Well, of course, I did! I'm – It was – We had to…" Leliana stopped for a moment, letting the torrent in her mind wash away. "You're the Inquisitor?" she finished, though she perceived her own incertitude in her voice.

Cervas lifted his eyebrows – 'really?' was what his eyes were conveying.

"Did I ever give the impression I was heavy on orders?" he said with a half-grin. He knew where he was going.

"Not really…"

"I gave you an option. Something I think you didn't consider at first. I remember how you looked at me the first time I suggested it – like I was a madman. Like I was saying that a tornado shaped tear in the sky suddenly burst out and started spitting demons all over Thedas."

"That does sound ridiculous…"

"Meh, I've seen worse. You should have been there when a guy told Varric and me that his ram offered advice on how to water the crops. I just gave up after that…" They shared a quick laugh that strangely lifted a tremendous amount of weight off Leliana's shoulders. Cervas always had that effect on her – it was something she'd never felt since the Hero had accomplished her last mission in Denerim. "But still," he continued. "As soon as you knew there was something else you could do, something else you wished you could do, you chose it. Every time. I never forced anything on you, I had nothing to do with your last choice."

Leliana kept her eyes locked onto his. His gaze was unflinching, dark and intense. His pupils were dilated, but he was focused, alert. This was important to him. And weirdly, that made it important to her.

"You feel very strongly about this, don't you?" she said with a sly smile, throwing a little reminder of their first true dispute among the Inquisition in that tent, so, so long ago.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't."

Now that she thought about it, he wasn't completely wrong. Ever since the day he had barged in her tent to intervene on her decision to kill off Butler, Cervas had gone out of his way to make sure she didn't lose hers. The entire Inquisition owed him so much: the Sacred Ashes, Haven, Skyhold, the Adamant… Much like Cassandra or Cullen, he was a fixed point, a roc that never budged and always extended a hand. Only, _he_ had the entire organization looking up to him.

Maybe he wasn't His Prophet. Maybe he wasn't the Chosen Herald of Andraste. She never really thought he could be anyway – and apparently neither did he – but one never became a leader because he deserved it. A leader always rose by virtue of circumstances and deserved it later.

Her mind went back to the holy trinity of burly combatants that had made the Inquisition's forces what they were.

 _The three divine Cs,_ she thought with a suppressed chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Cervas asked incredulously.

"Just you," she answered.

"Um. I'm h-happy you find me funny," he said with an unsure smile. "Is it – Is it something I said?"

_Here comes the stuttering again._

As a trained Orlesian bard, she was very well-versed in discerning blossoming feelings, especially when they were directed towards her. _Part of the job description_ , she always told Josephine, who would then proceed to heavily shake her shoulder to get Leliana to teach her how to recognize them.

Cervas, on the other hand, was good at reading, not so much at hiding. Perhaps the latter caused the former? Nonetheless, she had understood in their first days working together why he stuttered whenever she was near him.

"No, don't worry. You're fine," she reassured him.

"Oh, now I'm fine."

Leliana brought a finger to her chin. "Though I'll agree that seems a bit too sage for you, you do look a bit young. How old are you again?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You mean to say my _spymaster_ doesn't know my age?"

"It was a rhetorical question."

"You know that the Canticles prohibit making fun of someone two-years younger?"

"Really now? Where does it say that?" she asked.

"Just under the part where it says you shouldn't wear black trousers on Fridays."

This time Leliana couldn't contain an honest laugh. She reflexively brought her hand in front of her mouth – a vestige of her upbringing in Orlais. She caught through her squinted eyes his tender gaze on her for a few moments before it vanished in a panicked snap to the side when she opened them fully again. She slowly brought her hands up and lowered her hood, feeling the cold and misty air of the tower around her face.

"There is always a choice," Leliana pensively said. She walked forward, past Cervas and near the railing on the floor's limit. She leaned on the edge and let out a satisfied sigh. "Mercy is not a weakness. I am more than this. More than what Justinia made me. That's what she wanted me to see."

Cervas joined her promptly, leaning at her right, and stared down as well. Solas was – as always – sipping through his cup of tea while reading a heavy-looking book. Dorian was doing the same – minus the tea, he always was more of a whisky-and-ale-in-the-same-mug type of guy.

"You're better than her," Cervas said in his low, soothing voice. "You're better than everything she could have hoped to become."

Leliana chuckled again. "Let's not get crazy."

"I honestly think you are. But, do you… Do you resent her, for what she made you do?"

That was a good question. Leliana was a person of instinct at her core. She forced herself to think everything through because not doing that gets people killed, but to that question, she could reply honestly and instinctively.

"No. I know she didn't mean any harm. Her intentions were pure the way I see it. She gave her life for the noblest ideal there is: peace. She was a messenger. Someone I called a mentor, a guide, a friend. I couldn't resent her. Not today, not in a thousand years."

"Well, at least she couldn't fathom how much power you hold in your grasp now."

Leliana gave Cervas a playful push with her shoulder. "Says the guy with a left hand that can open and close portals to the Fade at will?"

He laughed his deep laugh, the one that resonated with the walls and made her shudder. "We are a strange pair of Left Hands, aren't we?"

"That we are. But, you're right. And now, thanks to _you_ …" She tried her luck for a second time, but this time he gave her a push back. "I know how to wield it wisely. Before Bard, Left Hand or Spymaster, I was Leliana. That's who I am. I want to keep that box as a reminder of that and who I almost became."

_I am Leliana._

That was her. The name was her history, her being summarized. She'd never forsake that.

The memories rushed back.

Leliana saw the Hero's gentle smile as she entered the inn. She saw her earnest laugh when she understood that a bard doesn't only sing. She saw Alistair and Morrigan bickering like they always did. She saw Oghren muttering under his breath as they reached Orzammar, with Sten and Zevran arguing over who had the best kill in the last battle. She saw Marjolaine leave like the defeated dog she was, and the Hero's hand on her shoulders. She saw her friend, her _best_ friend, plant her sword in the dragon's neck and give her, the group and the world her smile and her life. Her passing hit her almost as hard as it did Alistair. She saw her own tears, and the Divine's hand wipe them away. She saw Cassandra's unapologetic confidence and she wondered if she could one day have her strength. She saw Josephine's expert play at the Game, and she laughed for a moment. She saw the letter; the mages were in an uproar. She saw Justinia one last time before the green fire engulfed her.

Her vision blurred. The tears were still there. "I am Leliana," she said out loud, her voice shaking noticeably. The hand was still wiping her right cheek gently. Not the Divine this time. _His_ hand.

She leaned into his touch before slowly pulling away. "I'm sorry," she uttered, but she still put grateful and gentle fingers over his. "This is just a–"

"A moment of weakness?" Cervas finished. "And you regret that you even let me see you like this?"

Leliana scoffed. "Heh. Something like that."

"Well, I don't," he said. She lifted her eyes to his face. He was being serious, his intense raven gaze not leaving hers. "I don't regret it at all. Truly, Leliana."

The name didn't hurt as much any longer.

"I know you don't. You never do." She wiped her remaining tears away, leaving humid trails on her face. "I almost lost myself, and you helped find my way back. Thank you."

"Anytime," he responded, his face adorning his more familiar grin now, though it looked strangely morose to her eyes. "I know how important all of this is to you, of all people. I got a taste of what happens if we fail."

_Oh. Redcliffe._

He never talked about what happened out there. Neither did Cassandra, Varric or Dorian. Magister Alexius had used time magic, and she'd been involved herself – that was the extent of what he told her. But the few times she'd tried to bring the subject up, Cervas had dodged the questions in an expert manner that was unusual for the man: he had the reputation of disclosing every single detail of his missions to whoever had the patience to endure his long and monotonous talking sessions. She had had to hear the full story from Cassandra herself.

"It was hard on you, wasn't it?"

"Not on me, no," he said with his eyes fixed on the wall ahead. "Were you told what happened? To you?"

"Most of it. I know I was there, and that I… I didn't make it."

His shoulders and his breath sunk. "You didn't make it," he repeated as if he still had trouble believing it. "You gave your life for us without a second thought."

"Of course. I would have thought little of myself otherwise."

That much was true. She prided herself in her dedication to the cause. Any less than giving her life for it would have disappointed her in such a situation – she owed both the Divine and the Hero as much.

Cervas didn't seem to agree, however. His narrowed eyes were hard, cold, steely. She only saw them like that once before, in front of Corypheus at Haven. They were frankly scaring her a bit, driving shivers up her spine.

"When you were about to go…" Cervas started as he lightly shook his head. "I saw your eyes. I know the looks of people who are about to die. They can be proud, terrified, anxious, surprised, and everything in between. But your eyes…Your eyes, they were relieved. You were waiting for it. That day I knew just how much I had failed you. All of you. If it wasn't for Dorian, that would have been my reality. And you know what your last words were to me?"

Leliana nervously gulped. "I can't really speak for my future–"

" _You have as much time as I have arrows."_

The weight of his burden descended upon her like lightning. The Inquisitor, of all people, would feel the time that passed more keenly than anyone else.

"Replace ' _arrow_ ' with ' _people_ ', and what do we have?" Cervas clenched his fist in visible frustration. "Every single second I don't stray closer to Corypheus, how many of our men and women die? How many of our children are turned orphans? How many families will we have to tell their sons and daughters are not coming home?"

Leliana instinctively let her right hand cover his closed and tensed knuckles. His head snapped to her, his gaze anxious and tight.

"We are doing everything we can. You are doing everything you can," she assessed calmly. "I won't let you blame yourself for this. This is on Corypheus, no one else. And you know who told me that? You know who told we knew who to blame?"

Cervas' eyes slightly lit up. He stared at the floor for a few moments before answering. "A dashing savior of Man with the most beautiful beard to ever graze this plane?"

"Don't get cocky," Leliana half-seriously warned with squinted eyes.

The Inquisitor scoffed lightly. His eyes turned melancholic once again, but his voice had picked up its usual zest. "I won't let him take you away again."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not after all we've been through. I just know now that I shouldn't ignore my ideals. You talk about this to someone?"

"Not really? I didn't plan to tell you, actually. It was more of a heat-of-the-moment thing. It does weigh a bit on the heart, to keep this concealed. But it feels nice to let it out."

"I see." Leliana let a few moments pass by. "But speaking of concealing," she started with a mischievous raise of her eyebrows. "When were you going to tell me, by the way?"

He seemed confused at first. "What? What are you talking about? Tell you what?"

She tilted her head down, her eyes still meeting his. His stare slowly began to tell her that he was understanding what she was implying, and his blush was becoming more and more noticeable. This time her surprise was genuine. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't notice?"

_This is a grown man. How? How did he not see that?_

Cervas stuttered again. "I – It wasn't really my… Um. I don't–"

"Cervas. You mean to tell me that, knowing I spent most of my _working life_ in parties where everyone had a mask, you seriously thought I wouldn't notice?"

The abashed man seemed to think over his next words. He let his dejected gaze fall to the ground. "I do, I do," he conceded. "I know you know."

"The opposite would have scared me," Leliana said with a laugh. "Why say nothing? Too coy?"

"No," Cervas said. He sighed heavily. "It really didn't look like the right time. I thought, with everything that's happening, after the Temple, Haven, Skyhold… You had other things to worry about. I cannot deny how I feel, that's a given. But I refuse to let those same feelings interfere with your grief or your duty. It didn't seem _right_."

Leliana had had very few experiences of 'stomach butterflies' in her life, but she could safely say this was one of them. She gently squeezed his hand with hers. "That was thoughtful," she said. "And you're right, this may not be the best time." She could feel his heart sinking through the little twitches in his fingers, but he still maintained his exterior jovial demeanor.

Leliana examined the face of the man destined to seal The Breach and smite Corypheus. His kind but now shy eyes, his pursed lips, the unusual crimson tint of his cheeks. The man who had given his entire being to the cause without being asked, the single man who had been able to make her heart skip a beat on repeated occasions. The man who made her laugh, cry and find herself again all in between noon and supper.

The Anchor was a lot more than a simple mark on his hand, and it captured well who that man was to the world. An anchor.

_Mon ancre._

She delicately raised the back of her hand and brushed the side of his face as tears welled up in her eyes. "This is not the time…" she whispered more to herself than to him.

He covered her right hand with his much bigger left one, letting its warmth seep into her by every pore.

" _Je peux vous attendre_ ," Cervas said.

She already knew that he spoke Orlesian. Truth be told, there wasn't a lot that she didn't know about him. Being a noble from the Free Marches – a mage, no less – must have allowed access to so much knowledge that his time in the Circle must have gone by in a flash. But she couldn't shake the idea that his sentence had come from somewhere else; that he had learned the entire language just for her to hear it. She knew he'd be capable of doing that. And that's what made her heart long for him so much, her soul ache as she envisioned what could be at his side.

Leliana perched herself on her toes, bringing her face closer to his. She could feel his breathing on her cheek, dancing away as it lifted her red locks. She felt his gaze on her, and it only made her want him more. She brought her lips to his in a soft movement, a simple graze at first. She felt her body come closer to his almost by instinct and she suppressed a feeble moan.

His hands went to the small of her back, closing the last inches between them. At the same time, her own flew to his neck, gently caressing his hair. They stared into each other's souls for a second before they both closed their eyes and leaned into the kiss.

She kissed him like she wanted to be kissed, like no one had ever kissed her, soft and moist and hot and breathy, not trying to win a battle but seeking union and closeness and the sharing of one breath, one sensation, one timeless and passionate moment. The heat rose in her cheeks as her tongue touched his tongue, quick and electric and delicious, then firmer, more determined, more curious about the heat that lay within, seeking to chase down that elusive lightning that surged through her. The moment seemed to last for one split second and an entire life.

Leliana pulled away, her cheeks burning and her head twirling. "I – I don't…" Her first words were confused, lost as to what had just happened.

He didn't look any better. "That was…"

Their glances crossing again, they both giggled their anxiousness away. "That was great!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

Leliana took a step back, letting her fingers linger just a tiny bit on his cheek. She threw him the most tender look she could. "Still –"

"I know, I know," Cervas interrupted. "I meant it. I'll wait. We have an apocalypse to deal with first."

The Bard, the Left Hand and the Spymaster rejoiced together, but none were more elated than Leliana. " _Attends-moi, main gauche_."

He gave her a nod that sent shudders down her back. A nod not from Cervas, but from the Inquisitor. It was more than a nod: it was a promise. That he'd come back.

He disappeared down the stairs after he composed himself as much as he could, and she warned him not to tell Josephine _any_ of it. Her schedule was packed enough that she didn't want to deal with a squealing Ambassador on top of it.

As she sat on her desk to get back to her correspondence with a content smile, she caught the little excerpt from the Canticle of Threnodis that was displayed on every single of her official letters and beamed at how it now illuminated her day.

**In your heart shall burn an unquenchable flame.**

Valence had proven quite the lucrative expedition after all.

* * *

_**Glossary:** Ce qui se passe à Valence = _What happens in Valence...

 _Mon ancre =_ My anchor

 _Je peux vous attendre =_ I can wait for you

 _Attends-moi, main gauche =_ Wait for me, left hand

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!
> 
> This is one little project that was very important to me, and I don't really know how I feel about the fact that I could make it thanks to the virus but meh, it's out now.
> 
> My Inky is a Human KE if you couldn't tell, and Leliana here is probably the biggest wasted romance potential I understood couldn't be tapped into. Such a shame, but allowing her romance in DA:I would have created so many other problems -with DA:O saves and all- that I'm okay with it not being added. Also, there's Cassandra and Cullen, so yeah.
> 
> I enjoyed it very much and now I can go back to my other stories!
> 
> See you in other galaxies,
> 
> Peace,
> 
> CalAm.


	2. Après l'effort...

Every step feels harder than the last. Every breath jerkier than the last. Every blink longer than the last.

"Goddamncastleupinthemountains. Why did it have to be _Sky_ hold? We couldn't have had an Earthhold instead? Something on a beach?" Dorian moans.

"What's the matter, mage? Can't hold your legs up?" Thom says with a scoff.

Cervas doesn't have the strength to chime in. He almost drags his own feet up the stairs, not even the spectacular view of immaculate summits turning him away from how heavy his entire body feels.

"You'll manage there, Boss?" Bull asks, the slight tremolo of concern plain to hear in his voice. "You look a bit pale. I can lift you if you want."

His own chuckles rattle his throat. "As much as I like the idea, I don't think you carrying me like a bride will make a very good impression up there."

"Hey, we won. If there's one thing people won't give a shit about it's if you're carried by a big strong Tal-Vashoth."

"Carry Dorian and leave me be," Cervas mutters, repressing a small smile when he catches Bull's eye twinkling and snapping toward the Tevinter.

Dorian apparently caught it too. "That is so not happening."

"Pfft. Afraid he'll be _too big_?" Sera quips.

"I will not dignify that with an answer."

"The Iron Bull is not wrong, Inquisitor," Cassandra says. "You fought the hardest out of all of us, even with the Anchor behaving. There's no need to…"

"To what?" Cervas asks with a lifted eyebrow.

"To…"

Someone snickers at his right, but Cervas is too tired to decipher whose laugh it is. He waits for the voice to speak so he can recognize who. "To what, Seeker?"

Of course, it would be him.

"Shut it, Varric. I'm already having trouble finding the words as it is."

Cervas laughs aloud and picks up the pace. "Nevermind, Cassandra." The entrance to the castle is in sight, and a light clamor reaches his ears from afar. His feet feel a tiny bit lighter. "All right, gents. We're almost there. Look sharp. Or at least try to, considering the dirty blood and bloody dirt."

Vivienne sighs audibly. "That is a preposterous demand to make with… With…"

Her words fade away progressively.

Stepping into Skyhold's main gate, the group is stunned into silence by the sheer amount of people standing inside the courtyard, turned towards them. Hands over their hearts, tears on their cheeks, smiles on their faces.

The exhaustion vaporizes as soon as Cervas enters the castle proper. The crowd until then silent starts to whisper and splits open, widening a corridor for him to walk through. He advances, his companions following close.

The Inquisition's soldiers are there; the nurses, the diplomats, the spies, the chefs, the smiths, the horse-masters, the mages and the messengers too. He hears one or two claps, then a few dozen, and soon enough everyone joins the round of applause. Some victorious cries rise and boom.

But Cervas only sees the relief, the pride, the joy. Oh, the joy. The entire Inquisition is smiling in joy. Eventually, his very own party adds to the merry shouts—even Cole raises an arm and laughs while high-fiving every single hand he can reach.

"You hear that, Handy? That's for you," Varric says. His voice sounds proud.

"No, Varric," Cervas replies, and he feels a fire burning inside him as well as he watches his group basking in the blazing glow of their victory. "It's for us."

Dorian clears his throat—he would never admit it, but his emotions got the better of him too often for him not to be embarrassed about it sometimes. "I could get used to this."

"I would if I were you, Kadan," Bull answers.

Cervas mirrors as many smiles as possible while crossing the short green stretch. Then he reaches the staircase, and that's when he finally sees her. She's above him, on the small platform before the second round of stairs, exactly where she had given him that sword. Cullen and Josephine are there too, but he almost misses them.

Leliana waits for him with that beautiful smile of hers. Cervas climbs and climbs, the dolor in his muscles muzzled by his determination to tell the good news that was news to no one.

He reaches the platform and stands there, before his advisors. He throws one glance behind, at his battle companions, then looks back ahead to accept Cullen's handshake; it feels warmer than ever before. The two men share one glance and not a word.

They don't need them. Neither do Josephine and Leliana. They shared so much beforehand. Now, they only have to relish their triumph.

The Commander's hand falls back, and he bends forward with surprising elegance.

Josephine lifts delicate hands to her sides as well as a careful foot to the air and gently tugs at her dress in a tasteful and gracious bow.

Leliana doesn't leave his eyes, doesn't lose that smile. She bows too, one hand in front, one hand behind. Like a true Orlesian.

And the Inquisition explodes in a resounding mix of happy shouts, joyous whistles and cheerful calls. The roaring celebration seems to reach for the skies.

Cervas barely manages to contain an immense grin. He doesn't even register his own rallying cry. He lifts a hand to the heavens; _the_ hand that had started the fight, and the one that had ended Corypheus.

"To the tables!" someone shouts from below, and the crowd moves in a joint step towards the hall and the tavern—Skyhold's main chamber is big, but not quite _assemble the entire Inquisition_ big. The four leaders wait until everyone is settled before breaking their little group.

"See you up there, Inquisitor," Cullen says, offering his arm for Josephine to climb the stairs.

She's the only one left. It's _her_ turn to speak. "A moment, milord?"

The sound of her voice makes him shudder. Cervas turns to face her. "Of course."

They walk up, slowly, enjoying each other's non-death. But Leliana's radiant smile is off. She is a master when it comes to hiding her emotions, but that slight arch above her nose doesn't lie. The subject to come is upsetting. And Cervas's mind directly flies to the heart of it.

"No sign of Solas yet?"

Leliana sighs as she brings her arms together in her back. She never likes it when he guesses what she's going to say.

"My agents found no trace of him. He… has simply vanished." She gazes inside, then at her feet. "If he doesn't want us to find him, I don't think we will." She then stares up at Cervas from under her hood. "But I'll keep looking."

"This is strange…" Cervas says. "Why would he just leave like that?"

"Your messages said he looked upset about the orb… It was elven, maybe he was only in it to find it?"

Something doesn't sit right with Cervas. "That can't be the only reason. And what about Morrigan?"

"Gone as well. She came here earlier today. We… talked, before she left. She still hasn't really swallowed the idea that you drank from the Vir'abelasan, but she says she's glad you did. She extends her warmest salutations."

Cervas shivers at the mention of his now unbreakable bond to Mythal. "No need to sugar coat it. Just call it the Well of Sorrows."

Leliana's eyes harden ever so slightly. "We still have to talk about that. I'm baffled that you took such a risk."

"Had to. I like Morrigan, but she didn't strike me as the unwaveringly loyal type."

"She isn't. Well, not to us anyway. It was and still is the right call. I'm just a bit upset that it had to be you. I wouldn't trouble myself with that now, Inquisitor. Tonight is a night for celebration," she says with an inviting nod towards the warm and crowded hall. They walk inside, and he feels her hand brushing against his. "Now that Corypheus has a few discussions with his old magister friends in the Fade, we have a moment to relax and just breathe." Again, the faint touch of her skin tickles his palm. "Afterwards, you will be busy. Every noble in Thedas will fight tooth and nail to meet you."

"The battle is over. Why would they want to meet me now?" Cervas asks as his eyebrows quirk up in confusion.

Leliana laughs, her hand darting up to cover her mouth. He stares at her blankly, waiting for her to get over his—apparently, hilarious? —sentence. She then examines his face from the corner of her eyes and stops in bewilderment.

"Oh Maker, you weren't joking."

Cervas crosses his arms. "No. But do tell."

"How did someone as clueless as you not die at the first opportunity out there?"

"I have a big magic sword. What was this about nobles?"

Leliana chuckles. "You're cute. They want to be associated with you, at what they think is your peak glory. They want some of it to rub off on them. The Winter Palace is still standing mainly because of you." For the third time, her hand seems like it seeks his and he suppresses as gasp at the contact. She's getting bolder. "There are a thousand more problems to solve, and they'll want your opinion, whether you want to give it or not…"

Cervas shakes his head. " _Now_ they want my advice. What a bunch of vultures."

"You _are_ the one who stopped Corypheus. Before today, you were a rebellious mage leading a troupe of other rebellious mages and cast out heretics fighting an uphill struggle against a force so powerful they'd rather turn away than watch. Until Corypheus showed his blighted self, there was no one to blame for the Conclave and for The Breach. When he appeared, everyone had a target…" Finally, her fingers discreetly lace around his and give him a delicate squeeze. "And now, you're the only one left." Her fingers go, but the burning heat in his cheeks stays. "Enjoy the evening while you can, Inquisitor. I'll meet you when you're done."

He watches her as she walks away; the roguish smile that he won't forget anytime soon; the light swaying of her hips under her meshy robe; the little glimpse of red that peeks out of her hood.

Cervas shakes his head clear. The party is waiting for him.

Cullen is standing not far, alone, as per usual. He wonders if he heard anything from his discussion with Leliana.

"Enjoying the punch?" Cervas asks while clasping his hands in his back.

The younger man chuckles at his glass. "I guess. Am I imagining it, or do we have a moment to breathe?"

"Pinch your hand and brace for the comeback, Commander."

"Hah. Here's hoping I won't wake up in my bed all sweaty." He seems a bit lost in thought before resuming. "The Conclave, Haven… It seems so long ago."

"Oh, I still remember your singing like it was yesterday. It's getting a bit hazy, but I also recall that you were the first to burst into song?"

Cullen stares aside and scratches his nose in embarrassment. "I, um… I wasn't the first. Leliana was."

"Yes, but she's Leliana."

"She is." They both look for her and find her at the end of the hall, talking with Josephine with glittering eyes. "She's been through a lot, hasn't she?"

"More than we could imagine."

"I'll always remember the day I tried to get her to talk to me about Warden Surana."

"The Hero? You knew her?"

That's a new one. And something Cervas would never have suspected.

Cullen aimlessly plays with his glass, nostalgic eyes glued to the roof. "I met her, a long time ago. Only for a few days in total, but she… she made an impression. Even I could see the grandeur in her."

"You met the Hero, you were at Kirkwall with Hawke, and now you manage the Inquisition's military? You're the world's most prolific savior."

"I was more a bother than anything else."

"No, you weren't," Cervas asserts with a giant smile and a tap on Cullen's back that he makes sure is a bit more forceful than necessary. "You've been through a lot too. And we made it thanks to you."

"You're one to talk," Cullen says with a laugh after a few coughs. "You should hear the stories in the barracks. The sheer pride. You are proof we made a difference. And I am honored I was there by your side."

"Our soldiers put their trust in _you._ "

"And you gave me a chance to prove myself. In your place… I'm not sure I would have done the same. But enough of this. Everyone seems to want your attention. I'll let you get back to it."

Cervas chuckles and moves forward. He spends the next hour mingling about, checking on his companions, keeping tabs. He chokes up at each of their heartfelt proclamations and shares a drink with all that would.

The time flies by, and soon enough he joins Leliana and Josephine, not far from the Avvar throne.

"What's the news?" the spymaster asks as he approaches, a mischievous glint shining in her irises.

"Where do I start? Varric wants to write a book which title starts with _Shit_ , Sera wants to punch everyone and looks serious about it, Dorian hugs old ladies and Cole's already drunk when I thought he didn't even need food. What could go wrong?"

Leliana chuckles earnestly. "At least you can enjoy the refreshments. Fresh and hot from Val Royeaux's _Madame Lucienne_ , courtesy of our own Ambassador. Delicate attention, wouldn't you say?"

"It was a _nightmare!_ " Josephine squeals as she furiously scribbles down… _something_ on her parchment. She never lets go of her portable desk; not even for parties, apparently.

Leliana shrugs. "At least the petit-fours are great."

"Oh, I love tiny cakes!" Cervas cheerfully says. "And there's so many of them!"

"Not as much as there should have. Ugh, I should never have hired new caterers so late," Josephine exasperatedly mutters.

"Leave it be, Josie. Everything's fine!"

"It is not! I'm terribly sorry, Inquisitor. Nothing's quite as it should be. Are the drinks to your tastes?"

Cervas sees a breach and jumps headfirst. "If I said the port was a little dry, would you burst into flame?"

The way Josephine stiffens almost makes him explode into laughter on the spot. "You're joking, yes? _Please tell me you're joking."_

"He is joking Josie," Leliana intervenes with a disapproving shake of her head. "He has no common sense."

The Ambassador sighs then wears a warm and almost motherly smile. "I guess preparing a bad banquet is preferable to the other option. Now if you'll excuse me, I must inspect the port."

As she waltzes away, Leliana elbows Cervas's side a bit harder than she usually did. "You could have just said _Yes_ and let her enjoy the evening."

"We both know she'd get anxious over anything. This way she'll check something we're aware is perfectly fine," he tries to justify himself, throwing a glance filled with a mix of unwarranted confidence and very apparent bashfulness.

"I shouldn't let you get away with this."

"Aww. But you will. Because I'm just that adorable."

"You tire me."

The pair drinks in the sight of the full hall, the sounds of clanging tankards, the echoes of the chanting groups.

"You're a pain, but I must admit. This is you," Leliana softly utters. "You made this possible."

"We're doing this again?" he says with a chuckle. This time, and despite the shaking that invades him, his hand seeks hers. " _We_ did. We all did. That includes you."

She faces him again, locks their fingers together and raises her glass. "For all we've done."

After one last visual tour, Cervas lets go. His head feels too heavy for him not to crumble to the ground in the next minute. "I'm going up."

"You are?"

"Mmhmm. My head's spinning. Shouldn't have drunk that thing Bull gave me… Probably should climb the stairs while I still can," he adds with a chuckle.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, stay. Enjoy the party. The night is still young."

Her voice drops lower, barely above a whisper. "I'm coming, Cervas." She never calls him that when there are people around.

"But everyone will see y—"

"I don't much care."

"Ugh. Figuring you out is going to kill me, woman."

"It'll be the sweetest death ever, wouldn't it?"

They both stealthily step away from the hall and into the staircase at the far north. The climb is tedious, but Leliana's support helps immensely.

"You're stronger than you look, Sister Nightingale," Cervas teases when they reach the halfway mark.

"And you're heavier than you look, Inquisitor Trevelyan," she fires back without skipping a beat.

"Okay, touché. This round is yours."

They finally open the door to his quarters and the crisp mountain air hits his face at the same time as the bright crimson shine of the setting sun. As soon as they pass the room's landing, Cervas's legs give up under him. Leliana hoists him up and practically carries him to his bed.

"Everything alright?" she asks, and the tinge of worry he perceives makes his heart leap.

"Yeah, yeah. No more fuel is all."

"You're sure?"

Cervas lets his entire body collapse on the mattress and he releases a long sigh that somehow relaxes a lot of his muscles. "I should be good, now." He stretches over the bedsheets like a baby, not bothering to suppress the inelegant yawn that drifts past his lips.

Leliana sits on the edge, right next to him. "You deserve a rest."

Cervas has no feelings in his fingers or nose, but there's still something he wants to discuss. "That I do. Tell me, Leliana…"

She gently plays with his hair with a sober and serene smile. "Yes?"

"What are you going to do?"

He knows it's not the merriest matter to bring up, but he has to. And her features drop immediately.

"Now?"

"I want to talk about it."

"How about we wait until you're not beaten up and drunk."

"I'm beaten up, but I'm not drunk. I want to talk about this, Leli. It's important."

Now that Corypheus is defeated, the next hot topic across all Thedas is very easy to guess.

Her shoulders slump and she lets out a heavy breath. "I think… I think we can use the little time we have. Before I'm called."

Cervas's chest tightens in a vicious knot. She has chosen. She is the best candidate to be the next Divine; even better than Cassandra. Everyone knows, and he does better than anyone else. But that doesn't lessen the weight on his heart.

"Again, stealing little moments…"

"You're the one who endorsed me in front of the High Priestesses. You had the choice not to. I wouldn't have minded."

"Don't you dare lie to me." He stirs slightly to look her in the eye, trying as much as he can to transmit his emotions without speaking them aloud. "I know this is important to you. I know you want to do what Justinia couldn't. How could I not endorse you? The Chantry needs you. I don't regret it one bit."

"You don't?"

"You made the right decision."

Her hand comes to his cheek and drags along his beard like the sweet caress of twilight. "Not for you, I didn't."

"I'm not worth the entire world."

Her hand dashes back to her side, and she stands from the bed a bit too quickly—her hood flies from the motion and uncovers her head. Leliana strides to the balcony with swift and silent steps while Cervas's eyes follow her until she's hunched over the railing, apparently observing the frozen mounts he woke up to every morning.

She stays there, and it's not until a few minutes later that he hears the noises. Sniffles, twitches, whimpers. His heart falls lower than it ever did, and a new drive inside his limbs pushes him off the bed. His legs are numb, but he powers through to stand on his feet and walk toward the woman that he had only seen cry for herself once.

She hears his much less stealthy steps long before he reaches her, and she reels to the side, hiding her face as much as she can—though not once do her hands go for her hood. "No! Don't look at me now."

Cervas extends his left hand, and she stiffens when his skin grazes hers. His fingers feel the moist trail of tears on her cheek and the heat under it.

"Why wouldn't I? I already saw you like this. Twice, in fact."

"This is not me," she says, but she doesn't back away like she'd done the first times. This once she leans into his contact, lets him wipe away the tears with careful movements.

"Yes, it is. This is the most incredible woman this guy has ever known. And she's going to become the next Divine."

Despite the bitterness he hates himself for feeling, he's proud. Proud of her, and of whom she'll become.

"You only say that because you didn't meet the Hero." Her cheeks are almost dry now, but her hand covers his like it did a few months before. "When we lost her… When I lost Neria… My faith was shaken. I didn't feel the Maker's presence. Now that I have finally found His light back, and I can share it with the world… I lose the most important person to me in that world…."

"You'll get over it. I'm more annoying than anything anyway."

She cups his cheek and her smile saddens. "Nothing's going to just work out for us, won't it?"

Cervas chuckles as he recalls his favorite saying. "Things never just _work_ for me _._ If you were expecting otherwise, you chose the wrong guy."

Her eyebrow lifts and the cockiness he adores comes back to her expression. "Who says I chose him?"

"The arm around my neck does."

Leliana leans in and enlaces him in a tender embrace. Cervas returns the hug whose soft and velvety touch feels even more intimate than the kiss they shared so long ago.

"You're wrong, by the way," she mutters; the vibrations of her voice tickle his neck.

"You're gonna have to be more specific, I'm wrong about a lot of stuff."

She pulls away and kisses him in a flash. The weight of her supple lips hasn't even registered that she's already parted, but he certainly feels his head starting to spin.

"You said you weren't worth the entire world?" Leliana adds.

"Uh-huh?"

She kisses him again, somehow even faster. Though these pecks are almost instantaneous, their lingering taste sticks with him even more than their first much more passionate kiss in her tower. These kisses are heavy, loaded, _meaningful._

"Not to me," she finishes as one last tear rolls over her gorgeous features.

Cervas always tries to be as empathetic as possible, but despite all his efforts, some would still call him the _asshole who only keeps things for himself._ And now, in front of the woman he loves, he only wants to prove them right; he wants to throw all those efforts away, take her hand and flee where they would never be found.

"You waited so long, only for us to be once again separated," Leliana continues as she holds both his hands in hers. She seems to think for a few moments before nodding to herself. "You know what? Months ago, you made me a promise. And you kept it. Tonight, I want to do the same."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll find a way. To make it work for us."

"How?" he asks, fondly amused by how serious she looks.

"I don't care how many Priestesses I have to pois—"

"No. Poison. Leliana."

"All right, all right. But I'll find a way, Cervas. I promise. And I'll come back to you, _mon amour_. Like you came back to me."

He stares into her green eyes and sees the glittering shine of hope pulsing inside like a heartbeat. He sees her hand against his much darker one, folded like a dove's wing.

She called him her love. Maybe it's her bard instincts, maybe it's just the warm Leliana resurfacing again.

Or maybe she's right.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks, trying as much as possible to keep his head from fuming.

She nods instantly, her locks jumping up and down over her shoulders.

He wants to believe her. She's never betrayed his trust before. "Very well. But if you can't, I won't hold it agains—mmmph."

This kiss is not a little peck. She's launched herself around him, and her parted lips are glued to his. He can only focus on how soft she feels against his mouth, how addictively she invades all his senses.

She smells of strawberries and jasmine. The intoxicating perfume clouds his mind and draws an involuntary grunt. She reacts by moaning softly, a sweet and soft sound that drives him crazy.

His whole body burns, but not from the exhaustion; the feel of her delicate but strong frame leaning on his as her arms wrap around him seems nearly forbidden. He pulls her in, claiming her mouth again, hungry and intense, until his knees give in. By the time Cervas becomes aware of his fingers again, they already slipped under her robes, her skin smooth and radiating heat.

She pulls away with a succinct _plop,_ the red on her cheeks only overshadowed by the one of her hair.

He snaps back to reality and gazes upon her. "I'm sorry?" he says with a wince.

The bright light in her eyes is daring him not to repeat that sentence. She snuggles even closer to his body; so close that their hearts seem to synchronize against one another. She pushes his hands lower, enough that they're now touching the fabric of what seems to be her underwear.

"I'm not going to be Divine before a few weeks, you know?" Her voice is low, sultry, seductive. He's never heard her talk like that before. "Just saying, but there's a bed right there…"

The heat burns hotter inside his chest, but he only chortles in response. "As much as I'd like that, I don't think this is going to do it."

She stares blankly at him, her beguiling charms evaporating in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"I think I'm stuck," Cervas says while throwing a glance at his own drained legs. She narrows her eyes at him. "I swear, I tried to move, but they just won't answer. So, unless you carry me on your back, I think I'm going to have to spend the night out here..."

Leliana laughs again, and every single one of her breaths enraptures him even more; he's the mage, but he's the one being bewitched.

She strokes his hair slowly, not leaving his eyes. "Promise you'll be there when I find the solution?"

He doesn't have to think. "I will. I'll take care of your nugs while you're working."

Her head tilts to the right as she peers into him. "I think you'll have other priorities. But just in case: Do. Not. Approach. The little ones."

"That's hurtful, Leli. I love them as much as you do."

"Love isn't the issue. Who gives them rocks to eat?"

"You said they could eat anything! I had to test it out!"

"You tire me," she finally says, gently bringing her forehead to touch his.

"That's my job."

They share a moment of quiet, only interrupted by Leliana a few seconds later. "You know what my favorite Canticle is?"

"Should I?"

She shakes her head and smiles.

**_"Now her hand is raised,  
A sword to pierce the sun,  
With iron shield she defends the faithful,  
Let chaos be undone._"**

She sings it. He's forgotten how beautiful her voice is.

He read the entire Chant of Light back in the Circle; he knows which one it is. "That's… The Canticle of Victoria?"

She nods and hugs him again. "It is, Cervas." Her content sigh brushes against him and he suppresses the urge to answer with the same. "Thank you."

They both admire the scenery before their eyes in silence, the majesty of the quiet around Skyhold trumping the faint squawks of distant birds.

"Leliana?"

"Hmm?"

_"On a sauvé le monde. A vous de le changer."_

She's deliberately not hiding how enamored with him her eyes are as they snap to him.

For the first time, he knows she's showing him exactly what she's feeling. For the first time since he met her, she's not using filters. And that single realization is worth all the struggles he's been through for the last few months.

She beams at him. "Watch me."

* * *

**_Glossary:_** _Après l'effort..._ = After the effort.

 _Mon amour_ = My love

 _On a sauvé le monde. A vous de le changer_ = We saved the world. Now, go change it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know I said it would be a one-shot, but I just couldn't get my head off this idea when I replayed DA:I's ending a few weeks back. I hope you liked it.
> 
> This one is in present tense because I think of the chapters as separate entities. They are individual one-shots grouped under the same banner, but the story is not a multi-chapter. I wanted to try something else and challenge myself to something new, and it also suits the subject of this one-shot better.
> 
> I tried to focus a bit on the advisors, but truthfully this is again mostly for Leliana. I thought her becoming the next Divine would be interesting to explore in the context of the first chapter. I'm so sad the Warden couldn't be there during Inquisition...
> 
> Now, you're probably wondering: is this it?
> 
> Probably... not. I intend to explore Trespasser too. Though that won't be before a little while, I know it's going to happen. Because while the ending is not unsatisfying IMO, I think there is still stuff to be told for these two.
> 
> And yes, I am indeed French if anyone is wondering. That's how I know these translations (sometimes Google Translate just can't catch some subtleties). For example, the chapter titles are all the first half of a French idiom, Leliana being Orlesian and all that.
> 
> "Ce qui se passe à Valence, reste à Valence" is inspired by "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."
> 
> "Après l'effort, le réconfort" is more French-specific, and translates into "After effort comes comfort."
> 
> That's it for now, see you in other galaxies.
> 
> Peace,
> 
> CalAm.


End file.
